I. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a personnel barrier for use in conjunction with a guard rail assembly. More particularly, this invention relates to a unique rigid guard rail assembly which can be quickly installed, dismantled, moved and reassembled, in factories, parking lots, stadiums, stairways, porches, balconies and the like. The guard rail with personal barrier protects machinery and people simultaneously.
II. Description of the Related Art
Steel guard rails are commonly used in factories and warehouses to direct forklift traffic and to protect machinery from being hit by forklifts or other potentially damaging objects present in factories and warehouses. While steel guard rails are quite strong, they also generally are quite rigid and, therefore, do not possess high energy absorbing capabilities. Another disadvantage of steel guard rails is that they fail to provide additional protection to people moving about the plant. A still further disadvantage of steel guard rails is that they require maintenance because they rust.
An alternative to steel guard rails are plastic guard rails which, as compared with steel guard rails, can be energy absorbing, are low maintenance, and also have the advantage of being easily colored coated. Unlike steel guard rails, however, plastic guard rails do not provide the same strength that is desirable in the workplace. Like steel guard rails, however, plastic guard rails also do not accommodate a guard system for people working within the plant area. As such, it would be highly desirable to have available guard rails that combine the desirable characteristics of plastic and steel and provide an assembly that guards not only the machinery within the plant but the people working within the plant's structure.
A disadvantage of currently available steel, plastic, or steel and plastic guard rail assemblies is that once they are assembled, they essentially become fixtures in that location. Hence, although such guard rail assemblies may exist, they are not easily removed from one location and reassembled in another location.